Notes: Staley vs. Suggs; ‘brotherlies’ between teams; injury news

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – What’s the best part about practicing against the Ravens?

The answer is easy for 49ers left tackle Joe Staley, who regularly faces an All-Pro outside linebacker in Santa Clara: “It’s good to go against someone besides Aldon (Smith),” he said.

When it noted that he still had to go head-to-head against Baltimore outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, a six-time Pro Bowler, Staley smiled.

“Yeah, it’s good to go against someone besides Aldon,” he said. “Aldon’s the best in the NFL.”

Suggs may not be Smith, at least in Staley’s estimation, but the 31-year-old coming off the fifth double-digit sack season of his career is still a handful. Still, Staley has kept Suggs relatively quiet in the first two days of joint practices at the Ravens’ facility.

“You’re not going to find much of a better tackle than Staley,” Suggs said. “He’s definitely one of the best tackles in the league. And I’m not just saying that: He is one of the best tackles in the league. And it’s just phenomenal to work against a guy like that every day.”

By the way, Ravens coach John Harbaugh also thinks Smith is a decent player. Asked what 49ers have stood out in the two practices, Harbaugh joked, “The outside (linebacker), No. 99 — he’s pretty good.”

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Suggs’ verbal bouquet was in keeping with the theme of these practices, which haven’t included a fight. Today, 49ers wide receiver Bruce Ellington apologized to Ravens cornerback Asa Jackson after they got tangled up on the sideline and Jackson came up limping.

“Don’t worry about it,” Jackson said.

Later, the players on the 49ers offense and the Ravens defense knelt together, many of them in prayer, when Baltimore defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore sustained a serious Achilles injury. Several 49ers wished Lewis-Moore well as he was carted off the field.

“We’ve all been just kind of helping each other,” Suggs said. “We’re an AFC team and they’re an NFC team. You would have never thought two teams would have got along so well. But I guarantee you if we have to face them in Arizona in February (in the Super Bowl), there’s not going to be too much brotherlies.”

Speaking of the Super Bowl, it’s still a bit of sore subject for the 49ers, who have been subjected to endless reminders around Baltimore’s sprawling facility of the Ravens’ 34-31 win in New Orleans 18 months ago.

“I’d be lying saying I haven’t thought about it a couple times,” Willis said.

A few minutes later, when Willis was still speaking to a group of reporters, Flacco walked past the scrum: “There he is,” Willis said. “There’s the $100 million guy.”

Flacco smiled.

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Niners backup offensive lineman Adam Snyder went down with a leg injury on a pass play during practice, but was eventually able to walk off the field, slowly, accompanied by head trainer Jeff Ferguson.

Snyder, 32, stayed on the ground for several minutes and initially appeared to grab for his left knee. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman had no update on his condition after practice.

Snyder, who has started at every position on the offensive line in his nine-year career, is the backup behind Joe Looney at right guard. That position, of course, is already thin with starter Alex Boone in the midst of a contract holdout. Others at the position include Ryan Seymour and Al Netter.

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In other injury news, wide receiver Quinton Patton left practice early for undisclosed reasons. Patton was accompanied by a trainer and doctor, but was walking without a limp.

Rookie outside linebacker Shayne Skov limped off the field with an injury to his left foot, while tight end Vance McDonald (undisclosed) didn’t practice for the second straight day.